Cole off-kilter, Judge misses the mark as Yankees struggle in 2-4 loss to Nationals
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Follow UsOn Tuesday night, the airwaves across the tri-state area were likely filled with John Sterling’s familiar voice as Yankees fans held off on cursing—at least until the sixth inning. The night was a reminder of baseball’s unpredictable twists.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who had been nearly untouchable in his previous four starts, allowing just three runs over 23 innings without surrendering a home run, faltered unexpectedly. He gave up three runs on two home runs in just five innings of work.
Meanwhile, Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin, who entered the game with the highest ERA among qualified starters at 5.73, delivered an unexpected gem. Corbin blanked the Yankees over six innings, a feat he hadn’t achieved all season.
This turn of events, compounded by defensive errors and missed opportunities at the plate, led to the Yankees’ 4-2 loss at Nationals Park, a frustrating result for the team.
Aaron Judge acknowledged the mistakes and squandered chances, noting that such errors aren’t conducive to winning. He voiced frustration over the team’s failure to capitalize on late-game opportunities.
“Just a couple miscues, couple errors,” the Yankees captain said. “Can’t do that if you expect to win ball games. We had a chance there at the end, a couple chances the last two innings to come back and win it and sneak that one out, but couldn’t come away with it.”
The Yankees (79-54) found themselves with a glimmer of hope in the eighth inning, down 4-0 but with the bases loaded and no outs. However, Judge, despite his recent strong performance, grounded into a double play, which the Nationals (60-73) gladly accepted, even as it allowed a run to score. Giancarlo Stanton’s groundout ended the threat.
In the ninth, the Yankees managed to scratch across another run when Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled and later scored. With runners on first and second and one out, the team’s comeback hopes were rekindled.
But facing Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres both flew out, with Torres’ drive falling just short of the warning track. The Yankees, who went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, couldn’t convert their chances.
When asked why he didn’t pinch-hit for LeMahieu with Oswaldo Cabrera available, manager Aaron Boone pointed to Finnegan’s success against left-handed hitters. The stats back him up: lefties have hit just .186 against Finnegan with a .636 OPS, while right-handed hitters have fared better, batting .257 with a .732 OPS.
Yankees defense goes back to dark zone
The night after a stellar defensive showing, the Yankees’ fielding unraveled, leading to a costly sixth inning that saw them commit three errors, allowing the Nationals to widen their lead from 3-0 to 4-0. That extra run would loom large in the final stages of the game.
The defensive troubles began when Dylan Crews hit a slow grounder in front of the plate. Catcher Jose Trevino fielded it but made a wild throw to first, enabling Crews to reach base and advance to second on the miscue.
Crews then successfully stole third, despite Trevino’s throw beating him to the bag. Jazz Chisholm couldn’t apply the tag cleanly, paving the way for former Yankees player Joey Gallo to bring in a run. Gallo hit a grounder to first base that DJ LeMahieu fumbled twice, allowing all runners to reach safely.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone stressed the importance of tightening up their play, especially on a night when the offense was struggling to produce.
The defensive collapse continued when Gallo attempted to steal second base. Neither Anthony Volpe nor Gleyber Torres covered the bag, leading to Trevino’s throw sailing into center field. Boone later clarified there was confusion between Volpe and Torres on who should have been covering second base, allowing Gallo to advance to third and capping off a disastrous sequence for the Yankees.
Trevino chalked the errors up to a lack of communication among the Yankees players. “Stuff happens like that,” the Yankees catcher said. “Miscommunication.”
Earlier, the Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when former Yankees prospects Andres Chaparro and Jose Tena hit back-to-back home runs off Gerrit Cole. Both shots came off 96 mph fastballs, marking the first career homers for the pair.
Cole, who struck out seven in five innings—the shortest start since July 6—reflected on the home runs, saying he and his catcher had fully committed to their pitch selection and executed it well, but admitted they were the wrong calls against the hitters’ impressive swings.
On the mound for the Nationals, Patrick Corbin dominated the Yankees’ lineup, giving up just two hits—a two-out double by Aaron Judge in the first inning and a single by Giancarlo Stanton in the fourth. Corbin also issued two walks and struck out six.
Judge praised Corbin’s performance, highlighting his effective use of the cutter on both sides of the plate. He pointed out Corbin’s ability to work the pitch down and in, often just off the plate, which allowed him to consistently get ahead in the count. The Yankees slugger acknowledged that facing unfavorable counts makes hitting tough, commending Corbin’s aggressive approach in attacking the zone.
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